The invention relates to a wheel suspension arrangement for steerable wheels on a motor vehicle, especially for passenger cars and the like. In such arrangements the wheels are respectively steerably connected to a steering-gear box via a steering linkage which is composed of two part-sections starting from the steering-gear box. These part-sections are of different construction since the steering-gear box is asymmetrically located with respect to the vehicle longitudinal center plane.
In motor vehicles of the type described above, it has been found that unequal tire-wear can result. Especially under extreme driving conditions involving frequent cornering, increased wear takes place on the outside shoulder of the front wheel on the side on which the steering-gear box is located, for example, on the left-hand side in the case of left-hand-drive vehicles.
An object of the invention is to cure this uneven tire-wear, and to ensure that the tire-wear is as uniform as possible, and hence to ensure that the tire-wear is also low per se.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing that the overall stiffness of one of the two part-sections of the steering linkage is equal to the overall stiffness of the other part-section.
The solution according to the invention is based on the knowledge that the different construction of the two part-sections of the steering linkage can lead to discrepancies between the overall stiffness values for the two part-sections, and that, even if these discrepancies are only comparatively small, they can give rise to an effect, especially in the case of heavy and fast vehicles, whereby heavier wear occurs on the outside shoulder of the wheel with the stiffer connection to the steering-gear box, namely with the stiffer section of the steering linkage.
Since, in the normal case, the rods of the steering linkage are adequately rigid with regard to the loads which occur, the differences in the overall stiffness values of the part-sections result from the elasticities which are unavoidably present in the joints. However, joints which are constructed differently exhibit certain differences in their elasticities, so that a particularly simple embodiment takes the form of matching the overall stiffness values of the part-sections by appropriate selection of the joints comprised therein. This is effected, most simply, when joints of different designs are used, according to a procedure whereby the joints which due to their design are softer, are used in the part-section with the smaller number of joints, while the joints which due to their design are harder, are used in the part-section with the larger number of joints.
German published application (Offenlegungsschrift) No. 2,034,667 is of interest in showing varied elasticity joints for steering linkages.
These and further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.